US Stock Market Today: S&P 500 Futures Edge Higher as Growth Worries Meet Easing Inflation

The Morning Bull - US Market Morning Update Wednesday, Dec, 17 2025

US stock futures are edging higher this morning, with contracts linked to the S&P 500 up around 0.1 percent as investors weigh softer economic signals at home against easing inflation abroad. Fresh US business surveys show manufacturing at its weakest in five months and a New York activity index deeply negative at minus 20, a sign that factory demand is fading and pricing power is cooling. At the same time, UK inflation has dropped to 3.2 percent, strengthening the case for rate cuts overseas. The key question now is whether slowing growth helps or hurts more, especially for economically sensitive sectors like small caps and real estate compared with steadier large cap growth names.

When growth looks shaky and inflation cools, we steer you toward undervalued stocks based on cash flows before Wall Street catches on.

Top Movers

• Affirm Holdings (AFRM) jumped 11.77 percent as traders piled into high beta fintech ahead of expected interest rate cuts.
• Comcast (CMCSA) gained 5.39 percent after announcing a major broadband network expansion and simplifying its capital structure.
• Symbotic (SYM) rose 4.96 percent on renewed enthusiasm for warehouse automation and AI driven robotics demand.

Is Comcast still a smart investment or just hype? Read our most popular narrative and get all the answers you need.

Top Losers

• Phillips 66 (PSX) dropped 6.88 percent after outlining a 2026 capital budget that disappointed some energy investors.
• Humana (HUM) slid 6.03 percent as leadership changes raised fresh questions about the insurer's Medicare growth strategy.
• Lumentum Holdings (LITE) fell 5.54 percent despite appointing a seasoned semiconductor CFO to its board and audit committee.

Look past the noise - uncover the top narrative that explains what truly matters for Lumentum Holdings' long-term success.

On The Radar

Earnings from global shippers, tech manufacturers, and consumer brands will anchor the next three sessions of trading.

• Memory Chips: Micron Technology (MU) reports today, providing an update on AI server demand and pricing discipline.
• Logistics Pulse: FedEx (FDX) posts Q2 results Thursday, updating investors on global shipping volumes and margin recovery.
• Consumer Staples: General Mills (GIS) reports today, spotlighting pricing power, volume resilience, and promotional intensity in groceries.
• Workwear and Services: Cintas (CTAS) Thursday results will gauge hiring trends and service inflation across small and mid sized businesses.
• Enterprise Demand: Accenture (ACN) Thursday morning earnings will describe how cautious CIO tech budgets are heading into 2026.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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